


to woo the idiot

by nagase (machogwapito)



Category: Japanese Actor RPF, Johnny's Entertainment, TOKIO
Genre: Courtship, Fluff, Gifts, M/M, Mabo with an insane amount of money, Nagase's intelligence strikes again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-10
Updated: 2014-06-10
Packaged: 2018-02-04 03:56:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1764631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/machogwapito/pseuds/nagase
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How do you tell a dumbass you like him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	to woo the idiot

It's the turn of 2000 and so it starts nice and simple.

Nagase Tomoya opens a gift in Christmas of 1999, left at his doorstep with no return address. Inside is a set of gold cuff-links, gorgeous and classy and engraved with a faint outline of his kanji in some deep, purple finish.

He examines the box. He looks at the wrapping. He searches for a note and even looks around his living room like the person who's sent it is still skulking somewhere near. Maybe it's a present from Yamaguchi? He seems the type. Or a thank you from the whole band because they've been together already for half a decade? Nah, he doesn't think it'd be likely. But none of his friends are ever really this sentimental, and his family doesn't spend lavishly.

They look nice, though. So he adds them to his apparel when he has to look nice and fancy.

\---

"He doesn't like the cufflinks. What do you think, should I make it bigger? Better?"

"Nagase-kun's really thick, you know. Try being more obvious about it."

\---

Tomoya goes out to dinner alone because he has the money for it and he wants steak, but doesn't have enough money to pay for more than one huge one. He wears the cufflinks when he does go. He has to look fancy for a fancy steak-serving place, after all.

The moment he sits, the waiter brings a bottle of wine to the table, on the house. Tomoya blinks and accepts it with a mild sort of surprise, and he's even more surprised when he gets more courses than the one steak that he asked for. He gets some strawberry sherbet that nearly brings him to tears.

When he tries to figure out how much he owes, the restaurant claims it's been paid for. All he gets is a note in return: _Hope you liked it. M_

\---

"Even that wasn't enough! I used up all my New Year's money and that idiot didn't even--"

"You did your best, ne, Matsuoka. But maybe you should put more heart into it. Nagase-kun's an emotional sap, I'll bet."

\---

Tomoya squints at Kouichi standing outside his front door.

He's pretty sure Kouichi's wearing something that's been used for lives or a concert or something. In any case, one half of KinKi Kids is outside his apartment and attempting to serenade him, who's only thinking about the fact that his landlady's going to be pissed his friends are making disruptions again.

It's a nice song. Not a KinKi Kids song, but one of those smooth old love songs.

"The hell're you singing at me for?" Tomoya asks when Kouichi's done. He can also sense the fact that Kouichi's just as bewildered as he is.

"He said you'd like it."

"Who?"

"Matsuoka-kun," Kouichi replies.

"Hmm."

\---

"Hi, Mabo! Tomoya here. I'm just calling to say that I heard Kouichi. The heck was that about? He sang about sakura blossoms or something. Call me back!"

\---

"Taichi-kun was telling me about these chemicals that we can inject into him when he's asleep, and it gives him these emotions like--"

" _No._ "

\---

Tomoya feels restless.

TOKIO's just finished with their tenth anniversary tour and it's strange not to be so busy suddenly. He spends a few hours on the phone with Taichi detailing their next concert. He talks about some yakuza skit or a ghost or a circus.

The next morning, he wakes up to his neighbours shouting. 

He looks outside and sees a majestic panda calmly eating some of the bamboo shoots used for fencing.

He goes back to bed.

\---

"I think I confused myself with that, too."

"Are you bankrupt now, Matsuoka-kun? Stupid. And I thought Nagase-kun was our dumbest guy! Just tell him straight! Treat him like you'd treat a cute chick ya wanted to pick up and do the hubba-hubbas with!"

"But I don't--"

"You know you do."

\---

"Oi, Nagase. I gotta talk to you."

Tomoya looks up at Mabo in something like surprise. He's been sitting in the park with some coffee thinking more about the concert. He has the panda and he can work with that. But Mabo coming out of nowhere is something like a surprise.

"Okay," he says, patting the bench beside where he's seated. "What'sa matter?"

"Did you even get my gifts, you baka?"

Tomoya blinks, his mind starting to creak and groan. "I told you I got Kouichi."

Mabo frowns. "Stupid. I meant the other stuff.

"I... ha?"

"Anii wasn't lying," Mabo mumbles to himself. "Okay. Listen. That? That used to be mine," he says, pointing at the cufflinks Tomoya's wearing. "But this? This is yours," he finishes, laying a hand on his chest.

"... oh."

"Now are you gonna go on a date with me or not, you dumb gorilla?"

"Oh," Tomoya says slowly, finally understanding. "I... wow. Um."

Mabo raises an eyebrow at him, clearly stripped of all his patience.

"Uh... call me Tomoya," is the first thing he says. "And... Friday? I have a panda I wanna show you--"

"I know about your stupid panda!" Mabo argues, twitching. But inside, he thinks he could buy a million pandas in his happiness, anyway.


End file.
